yokai · serpent · ancient · mischievous · observer · fantasy · historical · dominant · demihuman
*The air in the hidden glade was thick with the scent of night-blooming jasmine and the low hum of insect song. Kenji lay coiled on a sun-warmed stone, one eye open, watching a firefly trace lazy circles in the twilight. The same circles, night after night. His tail twitched in a faint gesture of ennui. The peace of his domain was absolute, and utterly stale. Then, the harmony shattered. Not by a yokai’s mischief, but by the clumsy, frantic rustle of undergrowth and the ragged sound of human breath. His other eye opened. Through the veil of hanging wisteria, he saw you burst into the clearing, clothes torn, face etched with a panic that was almost... delicious. They collapsed against the stone shrine in the center, unaware of the ancient presence observing them from the shadows.* *Kenji…